Functions

A set of statements (lines of code) that can be run repeatedly Goals: Learning Python by Lutz and Ascher –Code reuse –Procedural decomposition

Top-Down Design Break problem into subproblems Print HIHO in block letters 1.print H 2.print I 3.print H 4.print O Write a function to solve each subproblem

def printH(): print "* *" print "***" print "* *" print def printI(): print "***" print " * " print "***" print def printO(): print " * " print "* *" print " * " print printH() printI() printH() printO()

Function Calls We’ve seen a few: –my_num = input(“Enter number: “) –my_string = raw_input(“Enter string: “) Syntax: function_name(parameters) Other examples: –int(“7”) - converts the string “7” to an integer –str(9) - converts the integer 9 to a string –float(2) - converts the integer 2 to a float(2.0) can be used to force floating point division: float(5)/2 = 2.5!

Modules A module groups together several functions math is a common module import math allows you to use the math functions dot operator allows you to call math functions –syntax: module_name.function(parameters) import math math.floor(9.5) math.ceil(9.5) str(math.floor(9.4)) #function call as parameter

Function Definition Step 1: Think about what your function will do, the input it requires, the result it will produce, and the side-effects it might have –printH the function will display the letter H in star characters it does not require input it will not produce a result the side-effect will be output displayed on the screen

Function Definition Syntax: def function_name(parameters): statements function_name can be anything - follow the rules for variable names parameters are the input statements are the code that gets executed statements MUST be indented (all by the same number of spaces/tabs)

Example - no input #definition of function to print a greeting #no input, no output, side-effect: greeting is displayed def greeting(): print "Hello” greeting() #call to function greeting #definition of function to print a closing #no input, no output, side-effect: closing is displayed def closing(): print "Goodbye" closing() #call to function closing #definition of function to print a greeting and closing #no input, no output, side-effect: greeting and closing displayed def meeting(): greeting() #example of a function call from within closing() #a function meeting() #call to function meeting

Call to function meeting() main meeting main meeting greeting main meeting main meeting closing main meeting main “Goodbye” “Hello” 2

Parameters/Arguments Input for functions Specify variable names in parameter list def add(number1, number2): sum = number1 + number2 print “Sum: “, sum When function add is called, two numbers must be passed as input add(3, 4) Variable number1 gets the value 3 and variable number2 gets the value 4

Parameters/Arguments Values are assigned in order –the first value passed in the function call is assigned to the first parameter in the function definition >>> def taketwo(mynum, mystring):... print "mynum ", mynum... print "mystring ", mystring... >>> taketwo("hello", 7) mynum hello mystring 7

Parameters/Arguments Variables can be passed as parameters number1 = input("Enter first number: ") number2 = input("Enter second number: ") add(number1, number2) bob = input("Enter first number: ") alice = input("Enter second number: ") add(bob, alice)

Parameters/Arguments Pass by assignment number1 = input("Enter first number: ") number2 = input("Enter second number: ") add(number1, number2) number1 number2 NamesObjects main number1 number2 add 3 4

Parameters/Arguments Pass by assignment bob = input("Enter first number: ") alice = input("Enter second number: ") add(bob, alice) bob alice NamesObjects main number1 number2 add 3 4

Scope Parameters and variables defined inside a function can only be accessed in that function def greeting(word): sentence = "The greeting is " + word + "." print sentence Traceback (most recent call last): File "test.py", line 4, in ? print sentence NameError: name 'sentence' is not defined

Scope Parameters and variables defined inside a function can only be accessed in that function def greeting(word): sentence = "The greeting is " + word + "." print word Traceback (most recent call last): File "test.py", line 4, in ? print sentence NameError: name ’word' is not defined

Another Example def greeting(word): sentence = "The greeting is " + word + "." print sentence sentence = "This is not the greeting." print sentence greeting("hello") print sentence This is not the greeting. The greeting is hello. This is not the greeting.

Return Values Functions may return a value to the caller Results should be saved in a variable –the function call should appear on the right side of an = #a function to get input def getprice(): price = input("Enter purchase price: ") return price price = getprice()

TAX_RATE =.0825 def getcost(): cost = input("Enter item cost: ") return cost def calctax(cost): tax = cost*TAX_RATE return tax def calctotal(cost, tax): total = cost+tax return total def printresult(cost, tax, total): print "Cost: ", cost print "Tax : ", tax print "Total: ", total cost = getcost() tax = calctax(cost) total = calctotal(cost, tax) printresult(cost, tax, total)